lithobraking
Deceleration of a falling object due to impact with the ground.
uncountable
Beagle 2 has successfully completed its critical lithobraking maneuver, marking another step for robotkind.
Where it comes from
From litho- (“pertaining to stone”) + braking, by analogy to aerobraking. First attested in c. 1999.
Adapted from the Wiktionary entry lithobraking (CC BY-SA 4.0).